As Days Go By
by Dave the Wordsmith
Summary: With Laura and Steve engaged and Eddie joining the Chicago Police Force, everything seems to be going just fine. Or so we think. Takes place right after the ninth season.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One  
**

Laura Lee Winslow sat cheerfully with a smile on her face at the end of the dinner table, facing the back door of the kitchen. Sitting there in the kitchen was her favorite spot and nobody could take it away from her – not over her dead body. Laura was reading her favorite magazine and not once did her eyes leave the page that she was currently focused on. Slowly turning the page, she chuckled softly after reading one of the paragraphs toward the bottom which continued onto the next page.

"Here's a recipe for hot and spicy spare ribs. Maybe Dad should see this. It'll probably get him out of his rut of only cooking burgers and franks," Laura finished with a sarcastic grin and a habitual flick of her wrist.

Looking at her watch, she saw that it was 7:22 am. Both of her parents, Carl and Harriette Winslow, had left earlier in the morning for work. 3J and Richie ran out of the house in a hurry a few minutes prior to catch the bus to school. Knowing that it was only Steve and herself in the house, Laura felt a little less worried as well as congested now that she had more privacy and space. Dressed in her blue robe along with her white, comfortable slippers that conveniently warmed her feet, Laura was surprised that she was actually up at 7 am. But she had to be up bright and early in order to make it to her first class on time. Almost through with her undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice at Illinois Occidental University, Laura knew that she would not be able to afford the tuition at Harvard but felt that IOU would suit her for now. Other schools such as Columbia University, Northwestern University in Illinois, University of Michigan Ann-Arbor, and New York University showed interest and would have welcomed her as a freshman with open arms. But she did not feel as excited about going to either school when she received their acceptance letters. Laura knew that nothing could compare to how her heart fluttered in her chest and excitement overwhelmed her entire body when she received that letter stating that she was accepted to Harvard.

Shaking her head, Laura decided to return to the present and turned to the next page of her magazine. Humming one of her favorite songs, Seal's "Kiss from a Rose", her eyes followed every word of a particular macaroni and cheese recipe that caught her eye. Laura was aware that she was becoming more and more interested in cooking now that she was engaged to her current fiancé Steven Q. Urkel, and nowadays reading recipes began to pique her interest.

Hearing a low monster sounding growl bark repeatedly in the distance caused Laura to turn her head from side to side to see where it was coming from. Taking a peek at who came through the kitchen door gave Laura's chest a warm, fuzzy feeling as she saw who it was. The growls repeated a few more times before they became louder and came to a stop, signaling that the person was very close. Lifting her head up to see the man standing a few feet in front of her, Laura looked into his eyes and waited for what he was going to say.

"Good morning Laura Lee!" The man exclaimed in his trademark high pitched voice, bending over to kiss his fiancée quickly on the lips before walking over to the kitchen counter. Dressed in his blue robe, tan pants and his dinosaur slippers which were the cause of the growling noises sounding with each step he took, Steve Urkel peeked into the refrigerator. Loudly humming "Zippity Do Da", Steve took out a jar containing his mung beans, one raw trout wrapped in paper and plastic wrap, a milk container, and a few other important ingredients he was looking for from the refrigerator. Taking them out one by one, he placed them on the counter beside him. Steve couldn't go a day without having his favorite breakfast drink – his brain food smoothie.

"Good morning Steve," Laura said back to him in a loving and in an almost hypnotized tone, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. For some reason, all she could think about was the man in front of her.

"I wish those professors would stop being so easy on us," Steve remarked, reaching up into the cabinets above the sink to grab the blender and place it in front of him. "No homework on the first day? Puuuuuuuh-leeeeeeeeeease! Now we may not complete every chapter the way the syllabus has it laid out for us…" Steve sardonically muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Steve…" Laura stood up from her seat, placing the magazine she was reading on the table. She slowly eased her way up to where Steve was standing and stopped a few feet away from him. Before Laura could get two words out of her mouth, Steve jokingly shushed her and continued what he was doing.

"Shhhhhhh! Not while I'm pouring…" Steve whispered, pouring the right amount of milk he needed into the blender with the trout, mung beans and other ingredients that Laura could not recognize as they had melded into a giant, green lump. Laura grinned and shook her head, not believing what just happened. _He's still the same old Steve._ She thought to herself, placing a hand on her hip and watching him create his concoction. After a few minutes of using the blender, he was finished. He smiled at the light green smoothie in front of him, anticipating what it would taste like. Pouring some of the smoothie into a glass, he licked his lips a few times before taking a sip. Smacking his lips to absorb the full taste of the drink into his taste buds, he frowned and shook his head.

"Needs more mustard…"

"Um, Steve? I was wondering if you could drive me to school today. My car's in the shop and won't be available until tomorrow."

"Sweetums, you don't even need to ask," Steve reassured her, patting her on the shoulder. "We can go in about twenty minutes."

"Thanks a lot Steve," Laura thanked her fiancé with a quick peck on the lips.

"Well, in that case," Steve put on his "cool" face, strutting around behind the kitchen's island with his "cool" smirk. "I'll drive you to school every day, baby."

"You just hurry up and get ready to take us to school," Laura giggled and tapped Steve playfully on the shoulder, sitting back down in her seat at the dinner table.

"No sweat, my pet. I'll be back in a jiff!" Steve set his glass full of brainfood smoothie down and walked up the stairs. Laura heard Steve's usual stumble on the sixth step, followed by his usual 'Something needs to be done about that step! For some reason it just hates me!' and smiled a little. She was glad that things were still the same, at least for now until they become married in a few more months. Laura's dream of walking down the aisle in front of her closest friends and family members was going to become a reality and she could not wait. What made it more special was the fact that she would be married to someone who truly loved her for who she was, accepted her strengths and weaknesses and would not even think of taking advantage of her – something that the boys in the past that she was involved with would not consider doing for even a second.

Hearing the telephone ring, which was on the wall by the kitchen door, Laura was stirred out of her perfect daydream of saying 'I do' to her wedding vows and having Steve Urkel as the newest addition to the Winslow family. Walking over to the telephone, she picked it up and placed it to her ear, surprised that someone would be calling this early.

"Hello…yes, this is she…yes, I know a Maxine Johnson…she was out in Detroit with my friend Waldo at a cooking competition, and…oh my God…God please, don't let this be true…this must be a mistake…" Laura's voice began to tremble, as did her hands that were gripping the telephone tightly between her fingers.

"Oh my God…" Laura drudgingly hung up the phone after the other person on the line hung up. She began to bite her lip and sniffle, trying as hard as she could not to release any tears from her eyes. The impact of the news was still heavy on her heart as she roughly leaned against the wall by the telephone with a loud thump, crossing her arms. Laura sighed and looked down at the ground. It seemed as if time stood still and everything around her had stopped and ceased to move. She did not even notice a jovial Steve Urkel descending the stairs and walking over to where she was standing. He was fully dressed and ready to take Laura with him to school. Laura could tell that she heard him say his usual 'Hidey ho' but to her it only came out as a bunch of muffled syllables.

"What's wrong, Laura? Laura? Laura! Laura!! LAURA? LAURA!" Steve asked, waving a hand in front of her face. After the sixth time of repeating her name, it appeared to get her attention. Laura looked up at him with eyes that were sparkling brightly due to fresh tears forming in her eyes.

"Steve…it's Max…"

"What about her?"

"The hospital in Detroit called. They say she was shot twice…and she's in critical condition…"

"Oh my God…what are we gonna do?"

* * *

**To Be Continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Edward "Eddie" Winslow arrived at his apartment, closing the door behind him. Suited in his blue Chicago Police Department uniform, he took off his police uniform hat and plopped himself down in the couch. Placing his hat upside down on the table in front of him, he reached into his pocket and threw his wallet and keys inside his hat so he would remember where they were. It had been a long day from doing foot patrol, along with doing his required rounds on his beat. Besides running into an encounter where he had to chase a suspected robber down an alley and pin him down in order to handcuff him until backup arrived, Eddie had not run into that much action while on his new beat with his partner Carlos. He almost resembled Eddie's old friend Weasel from high school, which made Eddie almost a little too relaxed around Carlos the first day they were partnered up together. He had almost called Carlos "Weasel" until he caught himself in mid-sentence and corrected his words. Besides those few circumstances, working at CPD was the same thing, just a different day. Nevertheless, it had been almost a few months since Eddie joined the force and he was already making progress. High ranking officers that had been working there for years would make remarks about how Eddie has as much skill as Captain Winslow, his father, when he was in Eddie's shoes those twenty plus years ago. Hearing those comments made Eddie glad that he had decided to not waste his time in college and instead go for what he really wanted to be: a police officer. Just like his dad. Doing a school project where he followed Carl around while on duty made Eddie appreciate what his father did for him, Laura and his mother a lot more than when he was younger and hated the idea of being a cop. Eddie was grateful that Carl understood that this was what he wanted to do, instead of going to college but not knowing what it was that he desired to do. But nonetheless, at this moment, it was not the rigorous police duties he was assigned nor the fact that there was not much action going on while on his beat that was bothering him.

It was Greta.

The on-and-off and on-and-off once again love of his life.

From the day he met her at his house that day she stopped by with Laura to go over schoolwork, Eddie felt that Greta McClure was the right woman for him. Even her dictating and narrow minded father Mr. McClure, who owned the Mighty Weenie he was manager of, would not stand in the way of Eddie being with Greta.

Right now, something else was standing in his way of making her his one and only woman. Eddie wondered if Greta was seeing someone else but was not telling him. Or was it something else? He didn't know what it was, but he would figure it out. And he had to.

Today.

After leaving a message on Greta's answering machine telling her that he was on his way over, Eddie snatched his hat from off of the table. He slipped his keys and wallet safely into his pocket and exited his apartment. Locking the door, he descended the couple flights of stairs and headed to the parking garage. Seeing his trusty purple and red car, Eddie hopped in and turned the key to start the ignition. The sound of Ziggy Marley's "Power Ta Move Ya" began to blast through his expensive sound system, causing Eddie to grunt loudly and turn it off in a mixture of disappointment and annoyance. Backing out of his parking spot in the parking garage, he headed up the pathway leading to the exit. He made a right onto the busy street after waiting for a few cars that quickly zoomed by. The same Ziggy Marley song began to play in his head, reminding him of Greta once again. He sighed and looked into his left side view mirror before switching lanes, knowing that in about fifteen minutes he would be face to face with Greta McClure. Ever since the two of them were listening to it in the living room at his parents' house those few years ago, that song would always bring her smiling face in his view. The song also reminded him of what he went through dealing with Greta a few days later. After staying out thirteen minutes past Greta's curfew, Eddie would be forbidden to see her for a month due to Mr. McClure. From that moment on, Eddie and Mr. McClure would not see eye to eye and would only talk to discuss picking Greta up and say their greetings once Eddie came by. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Later after what seemed to be taking forever, Eddie arrived at Greta's new apartment building that she moved in after leaving her father's house. Parking in front of the apartment by the curb, he set the alarm on his car and marched over to the front gate. Punching in the number for Greta's apartment on the keypad next to the door, he heard her voice coming through the speaker after a few rings.

"Greta, it's me. Eddie."

"It's great to see you Eddie. I got your message. I'll let you in."

The familiar buzzing sound rattled through both of Eddie's ears as he opened the door to let him through the front gate. Walking for a few minutes through the hallway to the elevator, he took it up to the third floor which was where Greta's room was. The elevator let out a quiet "ding" noise before opening its' thick steel door to let Eddie out into the third floor hallway. Eddie loved coming by Greta's apartment, as it was much nicer than his. He liked looking at the nice marble floors with matching, nicely decorated rugs placed neatly in certain parts of the floor. Eddie stopped in front of 3F, which was the love of his life's home. Before he could knock on the door, it opened to reveal Greta's beautiful smiling face.

"Are you stalkin' me baby?" Eddie smiled as he reached out to hug Greta.

"If I said yes, what would you say?" Greta asked after they both walked inside to her living room and sat down on the couch.

"I'd say, keep on stalkin'," Eddie said, wrapping his arms around her soft, warm shoulders.

"It's a surprise to see you here, Eddie. I thought you were still on duty?" Greta asked, crossing her legs.

"Well, Dad, I mean, Captain Winslow, was able to get me the day off after seeing how great I've been these past few months."

"That's nice…" Greta commented in a strange tone, looking around nervously. Sensing that something was wrong, Eddie removed his arm from around Greta and looked at her. "What's wrong, Eddie?"

"That's what I should be asking YOU," Eddie responded. "For the past few weeks you've been a little jittery and stuff. What's up?"

"Nothing, Eddie. I've just been under a little…stress, I guess…"

"Stress, huh? School's barely started…" Eddie got up and began to roam around the living room with his hands on his hips. "It's okay Greta…I'm a man, you can tell me. It's someone else, isn't it?"

"Eddie?" Greta looked at Eddie in surprise as she rose from her seat. "What are you talking –"

"You know what I'm talking about, Greta!" Eddie's voice began to get louder as he walked over to her. "Lately you haven't had time to see me, you always say you've been busy with summer school and then not even at night we can't visit? AND YOU ASK ME WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT?!?!?!"

"Eddie!! Please believe me!! There's NOBODY ELSE!"

"Greta, you didn't tell me anybody was in here with us?" A masculine voice asked from off in the distance. The body that the voice came from made its way into the living room where Greta and Eddie were standing. Looking at Eddie in bewilderment, he recognized who it was and looked at Greta who was ashamed to look at either man. Eddie silently gasped at who the man before him, knowing who he was. Looking at both Greta and the man in question, he scrunched his face up in anger and surprise as he couldn't believe what was going on.

"Stefan?! What are YOU doing here?!"

**To Be Continued…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Steve Urkel stood outside of Maxine's hospital room which was across the hallway. Just looking at that gray door made it seem as though it was staring Steve right in the face. Behind that door was a special room that treated patients who had their flesh pierced by that small yet deadly piece of metal known as a bullet. Steve couldn't bear to step a foot inside that room and hear those beeping noises. Not to mention seeing a tube up their nose or in their wrist, or worse. He often told people that he was a bleeder whenever in a tight, dangerous situation, but he also did not wish to see others bleed, not even a nick, scratch or cut on the skin. Just the sight of that red liquid would cause the twenty year old to faint. The only reason why he was even there at the hospital in Detroit was to support his fiancée Laura in her time of need. As she had told Steve on the long ride to Detroit, Laura had to be there for her best friend Maxine's sake. It took Laura and Steve numerous hours driving through the pouring rains to arrive at the address that Laura managed to research after dialing *69 to trace the call from the hospital that gave her the disastrous news about Maxine.

Looking at other patients and visitors pass by occasionally in front of him in the hallway, Steve sighed and adjusted his trademark red glasses to fix his view of what was before him. Steve couldn't believe that such a horrible thing had happened to Maxine and for no reason. Scratching his chin, he wondered why someone would try to harm Maxine. 'What could be behind all of this?' he thought. Hearing loud footsteps echoing in the distance, Steve looked up and saw one of the people he was currently thinking of approaching him.

"Waldo?" Steve looked on at his friend with sympathy, who was teary eyed and quietly whimpering. Through trembling lips, Waldo tried his best to get out what it was he wanted to say in response to Steve.

"Steve, it's great to see you here buddy…" Waldo hugged Steve tightly, almost holding on to the spectacled genius too long. Not wanting to seem too rude, Steve gently backed out of Waldo's hug and patted him on the back.

"No problem Waldo," Steve said as the two of them sat down in the two chairs that were situated behind them. "But what happened with Maxine, if you don't mind?"

"Well…I had just finished receiving first prize for my German chocolate sweet 'n' sour gummy worm upside down seven up velvet cake," Waldo started to explain, as Steve blinked in surprise that Waldo could remember a name that long about a cake he had baked. As Waldo continued on with his story, he became more emotional as more sobs sneaked between his sentences. "Maxine was real happy for me, and we were leaving the first floor of the hotel where the contest took place. We got in the car, and the next thing we knew…these hoods were chasing behind us talking about 'our cousin should have had first place' and shot at us while we were driving off from the parking lot…I tried to move Maxine out of the way but she pushed me back first and…and…awwwwww geeeeeeee…"

Waldo hung his head low, letting more tears seep from his eyes. Steve almost felt that he himself was about to cry as he put his arm around Waldo and hugged him. He wasn't about to let anyone become uncomfortable in a bad situation such as this.

"The cops were able to arrest the hoods thanks to a few witnesses who saw where the hoods were going so that the cops could took them down…and the cops were able to take us here to the hospital…but it hurts Steve, it hurts bad…"

"I'm sorry about this, Waldo…but don't worry. Laura and I will do our best to help you guys…too bad Eddo couldn't make it…"

"That's what's worried me, Steve…" Waldo said, wiping some tears from his eyes with the sleeve of his black jacket. "Eddie hasn't returned any of my calls the past few days. The last thing I heard him say to me was he wanted to spend time with Greta, but that's it…he never said when he would be back…"

"That's strange…"

* * *

"Max…I hope you can hear me…" Laura sat at Maxine's bedside in one of the small yet comfortable chairs provided by the hospital room, holding one of Maxine's limp, bandaged hands. Maxine's face looked as if she was asleep, but she was beyond asleep. She was in a coma, and the nurses and doctors were unsure if she would ever wake up anytime soon. Laura felt uncomfortable due to the beeping sounds emanating from the many machines located in the room and the IV that was inserted into her other hand, but she promised not to leave and insisted on staying strong for Maxine. The eerie silence that was interrupted intermittently by the previously mentioned beeping gave Laura goose bumps. She never imagined that she would see Maxine this way.

"Max…we need you…Waldo, Steve, and Eddie…all of us. You're my best friend, and I can't see you like this. I know you wouldn't want to see me in this same situation either," Laura paused for a second, trying her best to hold back tears with a few hiccups. She knew that what she was about to say would be too emotional for her to keep a straight face, but she would try her best. "Max…I never told you this in person because I was unsure if it was appropriate but…I love you, and you're a very special friend. You're the best friend I've ever had, and I want to see you come back…" Laura whispered those last two words under her breath as she placed Maxine's hand back next to her side.

Hearing a knock at the door followed by footsteps that echoed throughout the room, Laura turned around to see a nurse coming in with a clipboard under her arm. Looking up at the nurse, Laura smiled weakly at her.

"You have a few more minutes to see her, but after that she has to be seen alone by the doctor."

"Okay…" Laura sighed and looked at her friend Maxine once more, unconscious and lying so still under the hospital bed sheets. Looking down at the black Bible that was opened and placed in her lap, she read a few verses out loud from Psalms and Numbers that she remembered hearing in church one day when she was little and had stayed ingrained in her brain ever since then.

"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee...the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee...the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace...the Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you..." Laura whispered with closed eyes, knowing that Maxine was just as religious as Laura was. After saying another silent prayer to herself, Laura got up and left Maxine's room to leave the nurse alone with the doctor who would be entering in a few moments.

Stepping outside into the hallway, Laura saw Steve and Waldo sitting together a few yards away near where she was standing. Once Steve saw Laura coming closer wiping a few tears from her eyes with her white handkerchief, Steve stood up and held her in a warm and caring embrace. He let go and held her, standing a few feet away from her.

"They said she's a little better but…they don't know when she'll wake up from her coma…" Laura mumbled in almost a monotone voice, putting her bible and handkerchief in her purse.

"Awww geee…" Waldo whimpered as the three of them hugged in the middle of the hallway.

"Laura, we can visit Maxine anytime you want," Steve suggested, receiving a nod from his fiancée in agreement.

"Thanks Steve…I just pray that she pulls through…"

"Me too Laura. Me too."

* * *

**To Be Continued…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Seeing Stefan Urquelle step into the living room with his usual suave, debonair swagger made even the tall Eddie Winslow step back in surprise.

_It couldn't be…Stefan and Greta?_ Eddie thought to himself, looking back and forth between his girlfriend and his good friend. Sizing him up, Eddie could see that Stefan was dressed in his usual black suit, white button up shirt and red tie with his shiny, leather casual shoes. It didn't look as though anything had occurred between Greta and Stefan before he arrived. Greta had just returned to her apartment from school a few hours prior to Eddie's sudden appearance. But Eddie was still curious about what was going on and why Stefan would appear randomly in Greta's home – doing favors for her – without Eddie knowing. The last time Stefan had stopped by was when Greta had just moved in, and that was the only other time Eddie could remember that Steve's "double" had ever said even a "hello" to either of them and stayed over for a while.

"Hey, E-Man, what's up?" Stefan smirked, stretching out his hand to Eddie for their usual "cool handshake" that he would often do with either Stefan, Waldo or his father. Eddie decided to do otherwise as he did not move and only looked down at Stefan's hand still hovering in the air.

"You didn't answer my question, Stefan…what are you DOIN' HERE?" Eddie raised his voice but tried his best not to yell too loud, still aware that the neighbors or others nearby might hear. Greta fidgeted with her hands, panting rapidly as if she had just finished running a few sprints. She had never seen Eddie this upset, and Lord knows what he would do if he got even more mad. The sound of her boots echoed throughout the room as she walked between the two, her face full of worry.

"Eddie, baby, relax," Greta put her hand on Eddie's chest, trying to keep him back. "He was just here to-"

"Mess around with my girl while I was out on my beat, not knowing that I would take today off! I see what you were up to, Stefan!"

"Huh?" Stefan's eyebrow shot up as he looked at a distraught Eddie, who was gazing at him with angry eyes. Stefan decided to keep his cool, knowing that making someone upset by yelling back at them would be the wrong move to make. "You know I wouldn't fool around with your girl, Eddie. You need to calm down, man. It's not what you think."

"It's not what I think?!" Eddie yelled, causing Greta who was standing in front of Eddie to almost jump out of her knee high boots. "I come to my girl's apartment and find another MAN in here? Not to mention one of my friends, who is with my girl and you say 'it's not what you think'?"

"Eddie, he was only here to help move in my new sofa this afternoon," Greta sighed, staring at the new black sofa that was right next to the three in the room.

"Greta's right…she would've asked you but you were on your beat. Only reason I'm still here is because a brother had to take a nap after moving that sofa, not to mention dusting and cleaning the other furniture around the apartment…just as a favor of course," Stefan finished with his usual suave smile, but Greta could tell that he was hiding at least a sliver of fear. Not only from the situation that was currently going on but from what was really going on inside of him, which was one of the other reasons why he decided to stop by. Stefan could not confide in his first true love Laura Lee Winslow, soon to be Urkel, with what was making his heart sink so low. He was able to reach Greta through Eddie, and the two of them were able to meet up with an added extra gift courtesy of Stefan himself – helping Greta with her sofa.

"I wouldn't stoop that low with my friends…believe me." Stefan added, taking turns in looking at Eddie and Greta, waiting for one of them to say something during the uncomfortable silence that had filled the room.

"True…what was I thinkin'," Eddie chided himself, nervously scratching the back of his head. He offered a hand to Stefan, who after a few seconds returned his handshake. "My bad, man. I lost it…"

"It's cool…I'll see you later though, E-Man," Stefan said, patting Eddie on the back before turning on his heel and returning to Greta's roommate's room, where he was fixing her bed – another favor that she had asked of him.

"Look, Greta…I…I'm sorry, it just looked suspicious so I had to say something," Eddie grabbed Greta's hands, holding them in his. He moved them up to his lips, kissing them repeatedly.

"Well…I'm not mad…I'm actually surprised…"

"Why?" Eddie asked as he let her hands go.

"Because that's the first time you've said we're a couple in front of someone else…" Greta closed her eyes, knowing that the tears were coming. Eddie didn't know what to say as he picked her up and held her in his arms, taking her into her bedroom. He couldn't think of any words to express how he felt, so he figured his actions would speak for themselves.

* * *

Opening her eyes, Greta moved her arm to the side where Eddie was resting only to feel nothing but sheets and the warmth from his body where he was sleeping not too long ago. Looking at the clock, she shook her head as she realized it was the next day. 8:00 am. And she only had an hour until her class on Human Sexuality started. _How fitting_, Greta thought as she sighed and bit her bottom lip. She moved her eyes around the room. She was right. Eddie was gone. She had expected it though – he would always leave after they had made love. And that evening was no different. Getting out from under the covers, she was lucky that she had slipped on her blue robe as Stefan had opened the door and stepped inside Greta's room.

"STEFAN?! What are you doing here?!?" Greta yelled, backpedaling from Stefan who was approaching her and grabbed her arms before she could try to move out of the way. She did not think that he would be here and at this time of the morning. But she knew better.

"You know why I'm here…" Stefan muttered, grabbing her wrists and pinning her down on the bed. On top of her, he felt her knees and legs kicking at him but it did nothing to stop him from his goal. Just like the last time. And just like the last time, he would get what he wanted.

Greta.

* * *

**To Be Continued…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Forever and a day. That's how long it felt to twenty-year old Laura Winslow and Steve Urkel to arrive in Chicago that early Saturday morning after leaving from the cold, heartless and draining city of Detroit. It was almost Christmas time now, and almost five months since Maxine was first placed into the hospital. It was decided that she should stay there for her care, as most of her mother's family was situated in Detroit and she would receive better care there. Opening her eyes after resting for a few hours, Laura did nothing but keep her head turned wearily to her side of the Isetta, staring outside through the frost covered window in despair as well as regret. Her tears that fell down her left cheek were due to a mixture of sorrow and pique. The doctors were saying that Maxine was getting worse. Laura felt a little guilty fibbing about being Maxine's sister when asked by the hospital staff, but she had to in order to have more time to see Maxine. Also, Laura and Maxine didn't mind often hearing that they did look like sisters. However, after hearing the news from the doctor's mouth, the sight of Maxine placed in her hospital bed, looking so destitute evoked sharp chills to dance up and down Laura's spine. She tried her best to look after Max, staying at a nearby hotel by the hospital to check up on her every moment she could. Waldo would join her also a few days out of the one week Laura had allotted time to spend time with her best friend but she knew that she would have to return to her studies at IOU. At that point, all Laura could do was look up to the sky, hold out her hands and pray and wonder why this was all happening and to such a great person who would do no harm to others. Laura could not imagine the pain and anguish Maxine's mother was going through. Laura happened to be sitting bedside next to Maxine when her mother burst through the door, sobbing and dabbing her face with multiple pieces of tissue and lightly running her hand over Maxine's face that looked so serene yet was in-between life and death. Laura could only stare in awe as the two Johnson girls had their moment of one-way communication, from mother to daughter, before Maxine's mother left and also said her goodbyes to Laura and the nurse.

"You okay, Laura Lee?" Steve inquired, lightly tapping Laura on her left shoulder that was poking out towards him. Observing that she did not respond nor move from his question being vocalized, Steve decided it was best to leave her alone to her own musing. He sighed and turned his attention back to the snowy road ahead of him, glad that he was safely following a snow plow to return back to the Winslow's home.

"I don't know how much of this I can take, Steve…" Laura finally answered in a low whisper, hugging herself to keep herself warm. It seemed that she was not only talking about Maxine, but about her own self. Not even the heat coming from Steve's Isetta could keep her completely clement. Not because she had a lack of clothing but from the melancholy thoughts running throughout her head that were affecting her body.

"Don't worry, we'll be back home in a jiff," Steve responded in his cheery voice, attempting the best he could to get Laura's spirits back up. For once, at this particular moment even Steve didn't know what to say to show that there was a silver lining to this gigantic black cloud hovering over the both of them. Seeing Laura so faint also took a small blow to his psyche. During his Microbiology class the day before, the professor had to snap Steve out of his thoughts when he had instructed Steve to read the question to a particular problem given to the students to solve. He tried his best to separate his feelings he had in his heart from what he had to accomplish at school but even that was to no avail. Arriving in the driveway of their home, Steve turned off the engine and took a moment to stretch out his legs and relax; trying to relieve himself of the stress and agony he has gone through for the past five months. Looking to his right, he saw Laura had quietly fallen asleep, her body rising and falling steadily with each deep, silent inhale and exhale. Opening the front door, the cold air began to blow its way sharply into his face. Helping Laura up, he freed his other hand to shut the car door. After a few moments, he concluded that it was best to carry her instead of nearly dragging her to the door, which was what he was doing until he decided to do otherwise. Not that she was heavy, but at the thought of picking her up he shook his head and sighed knowing that he would not be able to do it with ease. The only other time he had done so on his own will was the day Laura had credulously decided to get herself drunk at a party and he had to assist her back in the house. The only bright side to that moment was the kiss Steve received from Laura before the two of them passed out on the couch. Getting rid of that memory, Steve snapped back into reality and started lifted her up by her lower back and under her knees, almost buckling from her weight but from some unknown source he suddenly started to take more controlled, bold steps up to the front door. Reaching into his coat pocket, he hurried as fast as he could to find the bundle of numerous keys he had to find the front door key neatly organized with the other keys for his numerous lockers and inventions in the basement, for school, among other things. Finally recognizing it from its shape and texture, he pulled it out and almost slipped onto one knee as he unlocked the door and pushed the door open with an unintentional jolt. Still wondering how he was able to keep Laura in his arms for this long, Steve slowly walked inside and pushed the door closed with his free shoulder, the other semi covered by Laura's arm and shoulder. He almost collapsed as he approached the first step leading upstairs, realizing that he should have turned on the lights but he didn't want to turn around and struggle trying to reach something as simple as a light switch. He could see the headlines now: "Nerd boy dies with fiancée in arms trying to turn on the lights". After what seemed to be an eternity, he reached the landing of the second floor and saw that Laura's bedroom door was luckily wide open. Plodding over to Laura's bed, he sighed in relief as he gently placed Laura down, the side of her face lying on her pillow facing him. Before he could turn around, a hand grabbed his, preventing him from leaving. Turning around, he saw Laura looking up at him through half opened eyes, looking as if she was about to cry.

"Stay here with me, Steve…" She requested, pulling him toward the bed. Not resisting, he lay down with her, taking off his glasses and setting them on her nightstand next to her white alarm clock. "I can't be alone…"

Nodding, he wrapped his arms around her and let her nestle her head in his chest. This wasn't the first time she had asked him to do this. Ever since a month ago, she would wake up during the night with hallucinations and nightmares, thinking that Maxine had passed away or that she tried to warn Maxine to move out of the way, only to see her get shot twice in her back, falling down to the ground with a loud thud, causing her to wake up and yell in horror and almost hit Steve in the process. Patting her back, Steve could feel his hand become slower and slower until it stopped completely as he had drifted off to dream land to make another withdrawal from the sleep bank.

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"Honey, you should eat something," Harriette pleaded with Laura, sitting next to her at the dining room table dressed in her blue robe and slippers. She didn't care to bother fixing up her hair or getting dressed, still wallowing in her melancholy mood, and did not intend on doing it anytime soon. Seeing Laura only fool around with her knife and fork and not dine upon her waffles, bacon and eggs only made Harriette's heart sink even lower as she placed a hand on Laura's shoulder. "You haven't eaten in days…"

"I just can't, ma," Laura admitted, almost shivering as she felt her mother's arm wrap around her back and her shoulder. It may have been the first time she said it out loud, but she repeated it over and over to herself all morning. "Ever since they told me yesterday about Max, I just…" Laura stopped in mid sentence, a single tear falling down her cheek.

"Laura…Look…I know it's tough, what you're going through. I went through the same thing when I was your age…"

"Really?" Laura stopped looking down at her food and locked onto her mother's eyes, filled with concern.

"Yeah…one of my friends, Shirley, who I was best friends with along with one of my other friends…we used to always hang out together and socialize and talk about boys, and…seeing you and Maxine reminded me of how Shirley and I used to be…but one day, I got to school…first period…and I noticed Shirley wasn't in her seat…and the teacher, she got in front of the class and said…'Class…I'm sorry to inform you kids that Shirley Wilson is in the hospital'. It turned out she was shot at while sitting in her car, waiting for one of my other friends, Anita, to come out from the drug store. Luckily, Anita was there to take her to the hospital and get her some help. The shooter thought that Anita was somebody else that they were trying to kill. They were eventually put in jail but…it hurt, Laura. It hurt **very bad**. A few weeks later…Shirley was gone…" Harriette said full of grief, noticing that Laura was looking on with widened eyes. She kept her hands in front of her on the table, looking down at them in sadness and heartache.

"Aw mom…I'm sorry…" Laura put her hand on top of her mother's, seeing that the pain of what happened those many years ago still affected her to this day.

"You see Laura…what I learned from my mother was, you have to not worry too much about feeling sad and instead…try to do the best you can and keep positive, no matter what happens," Harriette finished, a little smile on her face to try to make Laura do the same. She got up and put her own plate that was empty in the sink, running some water on it for a few seconds and scrubbing it with a sponge before putting it with the rest of the dirty dishes.

Laura remained in her seat, staring at the food before her. She realized that her mother was right. Perhaps it was best to think positive and concentrate on the future instead of keeping her thoughts on Maxine. Laura still felt concerned for her, and she could still check up on her, but it was best to focus more on her schoolwork, her family as well as her wedding that she would be having in a few months. Grabbing the knife and fork lying next to her plate, she stabbed her waffle with the fork, cutting the waffle into bite sized pieces before eating them.

"Good morning, Laura Lee!" Steve greeted his fiancée, entering the kitchen through the back door. Seeing her eat again brought a smile to his face.

"Good morning Steve," Laura said with life in her voice, something Steve not to mention she herself had not heard in days.

"Uh oh…uh, Laura, did you happen to see Big Guy walk out the door carrying a brown bag in his hand?" Steve nervously asked, a look of worry and dread upon his face.

"Yeah Steve, why?"

"That wasn't Harriette's usual bag lunch she leaves him! That was my bag of exploding food I was working on!" Steve began to run out of the room, almost slipping on his own feet as he barged through the kitchen door out to the living room and out the front door. "Big Guyyyyyyyyyy!"

Laura tried her best not to laugh out loud, only letting a few giggles slip out of her mouth. She knew Steve didn't mean to leave the food out in the open and that mistakes can happen, but she had to admit: it was funny. Steve and Carl were still going at it, not as often as in the past, but their arguments still happened from time to time and it reminded Laura of the good old days during middle and high school. Finishing her breakfast, she cleaned off her plate and set it in the sink next to her mother's. Hearing the phone ring, she picked it up in time before the last ring. Putting the phone up to her ear, she was glad that her old self was coming back to the surface.

"Hello?"

Hearing the voice on the other end, she recognized it as belonging to Maxine's mother. Laura prayed that she had good news to bring this time as she did not like it when bad news was brought onto her. However, as the conversation went on, Maxine's mother's voice changed from normal to distraught, hearing her breathing become more rapid as if she were out of breath. Before she knew it, Laura heard some voices in the background yelling as well as a few crying. Laura's heart rate soared to the roof, nervously holding the phone up to her ear to find out what was going on.

"Mrs. Johnson?! What's going on?"

"Laura…Laura…it's Maxine…" She responded, sobbing between her words. Laura closed her eyes, hoping and praying that something good was happening. "She's AWAKE!"

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**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Notes:** Please R&R & let me know how the story is going so far, what u liked and/or didn't like about it, or any other comments!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Stirring out of his sleep from the loud buzzing blaring from his alarm clock placed conveniently on the nightstand next to the bed, Edward "Eddie" Winslow reached over with one arm at the clock to slap the large silver snooze button on top of it, sensibly labeled "snooze" in large black writing. Acting as if it were the first time he had been brought to life from sleeping, it was actually the third time this morning, and the final time due to having to wake up now or else he would be late for the lunch he planned to have with Greta McClure: his main squeeze. Eddie loved her with all of his heart and she was the first woman he actually had genuine and deep feelings for. Like that classic Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell song, there was no mountain high, valley low, or river wide to keep him away from her. Dressed in his blue sweats and loose white shirt, Eddie took a few minutes to get out of bed and do his usual morning warm-up consisting of stretches, sit-ups and a few bouts of jump rope. Afterward, he ran into the shower, brushed his teeth, brushed his hair and got dressed into some casual clothes. He figured since it was his day off why not just wear some black pants, some black casual shoes and a few sweaters with his Chicago Bulls sweater on top and relax. Eddie remembered that today was not just an ordinary day off. He planned on surprising Greta with something he had been saving his money for years to buy for her. His relationship with Greta had its ups and downs, yet he felt that the time was right to give his gift to her since it was their fourth anniversary of the first day they went out on a real official date, having to nearly wrestle his way past her overprotective father Mr. McClure in order to take Greta out. Plus, the gift wouldn't hurt as also acting as a peace offering to close the conflicting gap between the two due to the misunderstanding Eddie had those months ago about the relationship of Greta and Stefan. It was the best time to offer his gift to Greta, as not only did he have time off but she would be home at this time of the day and that would be the perfect opportunity to take Greta out to lunch and surprise her. Picking the small black leather box off of his nightstand next to his alarm clock, Eddie walked out to the living room to pick up his black coat, which had been thrown nonchalantly onto his sofa last night, before leaving the apartment and closed the door behind him, ready to give Greta some great news.

Greta McClure lay nervously in her bed, squirming as if something terrible was about to happen or would happen to her. It was something about being alone in her apartment that always kept her on pins and needles and she wanted it to stop, yet she knew thinking about it so much or telling someone about it wouldn't help. She just couldn't give up the agreement she had made but was forced to regret. She had an education to finish, an apartment to live in and a life to live. She forcefully shut her eyes, almost as if she didn't want to close them, nonetheless she wanted to. Greta did not want to go on with what was going to happen today. She wished she was sixteen all over again when she first met Eddie Winslow, her first true love. Back then, she had no credit scores, rent, utilities or tuition to pay and take care of – it was all paid for by her father. But sacrificing his support for sticking with the man she loved was a price she had to pay. In a perfect world, she would still have her father's support and belong in a great relationship with Eddie Winslow. Yet, in reality it was almost the complete opposite. Greta and her father did not speak much unless he called her to know how she was doing in school or to see if she wanted to come by for the holidays. Other than that, there was no real communication between the two. As for Eddie, they continued their little game of "break up to make up", fighting over something so small that they would look back and laugh about it later on. Nevertheless, it took a little strain on her and she wished that they would not fight over such petty things. Greta looked at her alarm clock and swallowed a lump that was tickling her throat, nervous about what time it was. 8:20 am. Ten minutes left until he arrives. She shuddered at the thought of him coming by on his usual Monday morning and tried to think of other things. Remembering that last Friday was her last day of school, she felt relieved that since finals were over, waking up early was no longer on her priorities list for a month. But paying for school and her place of residence was always going to be number one, no matter how it would be paid, and the way she was paying for it now caused Greta to feel a large wave of nausea run its course through her stomach. She asked herself over and over why she had to do it like this instead of asking her father or even Eddie's parents, but that opportunity to do so was in the past and there was nothing she could do to change it now. Sighing, Greta slowly dragged her feet out of bed and looked around her large, plush bedroom. On her own, she knew she could not even afford to buy an apartment that was even the size of her bedroom closet which was outrageously huge and was comparable to the size of half of a one bedroom apartment. She slipped her feet into her pink, comfortable slippers Greta wrapped her matching pink robe a little tighter to bring more warmth to her body and lazily meandered out into the living room, staring at the front door. She knew that he was about to step inside any second. 'When he gets here,' Greta thought to herself, her hands gradually balling up into fists. 'We need to talk. We need to end this once and for all.' Her instincts proved her right, as she heard the keys on the other side of the door jangling and bumping against the door knob before it swung open to reveal who she was thinking about.

"Speak of the devil…" Greta muttered low under her breath, staring at the man who leisurely walked in with great panache.

"You know what time it is…" The man smiled, straightening the collar of his white button up shirt, matching perfectly with his black dress pants and black and white casual shoes. He was now only a few feet away from Greta as he put his key to the apartment in his pants pocket.

"No I don't…and I don't want to know because it's over…I'm through with you…" Greta turned her back towards him, crossing her arms. She sighed and looked down at the ground, patting her right foot on the ground.

"Are you sure, baby?" He asked, sticking his arm out to touch her shoulder. Jerking it away from him a split second after he felt the soft, warm material from her robe that was covering her shoulder, the gentleman sighed and shook his head, feeling almost as if he should laugh at how silly she was acting, but instead he smirked and turned around. Leaving, he dropped the key belonging to the apartment on the ground. Stopping in front of the door, he turned around to look and see if Greta had turned around, yet she remained with her back turned to him. "Greta…after one more month, you can kiss this apartment and your education goodbye…well, onto the next customer," He finished, closing the door behind him. Even though he closed it quietly, Greta shuddered from the sound as it felt as it had been magnified a hundred times louder than normal. Feeling the effects from what just transpired before her eyes, Greta felt her knees buckle from under her as she fell to her hands and knees. Her body began to shake from her sudden outburst of sobs. Tears began to run down her face and chin, dripping down onto the white carpet underneath her.

"Why meeeeeeeee, Lord? Why meeeeee?" Greta let out in almost a growl, slamming her fists onto the floor in frustration. She didn't care if the people living under her heard her. She just wanted to let her pain and sadness out anyway that she could. Knowing that she only had a month left to live in this apartment in the great part of Chicago, she couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't allow the feelings she had bottled up in her heart to stay hidden in her any longer. After a few moments, Greta crawled over to her sofa and placed herself in the middle, wrapping her arms around herself and haltingly rocking from side to side in an attempt to try to relax during all this heartache and torment. Hearing the door open once more after the familiar sound of keys moving around, Greta grimaced and cringed, turning to her side in an attempt to not see who was coming, wondering if it was 'him' again. Stefan Urquelle.

"Greta, what's wrong?" A familiar, reassuring masculine voice asked, sitting next to her. Greta felt his arms enclose around her and a spark of warmness begin to fill her body as if it were being recharged with energy. Looking up through her now teary, reddened eyes, she saw his face looking at her with great concern. It was Eddie's.

"Eddie…it was…Stefan, he was here, and he…baby, it was awwwwwwwwwful," Greta didn't know what to say between her tears, throwing her face into his shoulder. Patting the back of her head, Eddie looked around the place and then back on her. He couldn't believe it. The place appeared to be in great shape thanks to Stefan's help. What could Greta be upset about? Did Greta's sudden shaken up disposition have something to do with Stefan? 'No way,' Eddie denied the possibility of it being him. 'It couldn't be.'

"Relax Greta…calm down…tell me what's wrong?" He asked as Greta finally let her face out of his shoulder and looked down at the ground, feeling embarrassed and ashamed.

"Eddie, it's a long story…" She said, her voice shaky from crying.

"Greta, I've got the day off. If it takes all day, I'm listenin'."

"I never had a roommate this whole time, Eddie…I've been living here by myself…"

"That's what you're upset about?" Eddie honestly asked as his eyebrow flew up in confusion.

"Stefan helped me get this place…"

"He did?" Eddie said in a calm rage, wondering why she did not tell him this before. Greta was about to move away until he did not become enraged like he usually would if something came up that was out of the ordinary or was kept secret, especially if it involved his woman.

"Yeah…being a model at school wasn't bringing in enough money, and neither was my regular job. My dad still won't help me…so…I had to ask somebody…"

"Why didn't you ask me? I could have seen if my dad could have helped you out!"

"I know, but…" Greta didn't notice that another tear dropped down her cheek as she continued with her story. "After Stefan came by when I first got this apartment from the money I got from modeling…he said he could help me with my finances, so…" Greta paused, knowing that what she was about to say could either cause Eddie to become upset or decide to leave her or worse.

"So…what happened?"

"…He said that I could be helped, but only if…" Greta looked away from Eddie and turned her head away from him, ashamed from what she was about to say. "…I gave myself to him…" Greta suddenly exploded into a horrible fit of crying, her entire vision blinded by tears. Looking on at Greta, Eddie could not describe what he was feeling. His gut was telling him that something was wrong with Greta, yet she could not describe what it was until now. Grabbing Greta, he brought her close and sighed, whispering reassuring words in her ear that brought her to somewhat of a stop from her involuntary trembling. Greta began to tell Eddie the whole story about how Stefan had only done it twice with her and that she regretted every second of it, also mentioning that her roommate from her first apartment had left before she moved in to her new apartment and so she kept the lie going in order to have Eddie not worry about her living by herself. After she finished, Eddie began to tell about why he had showed up to her apartment in the first place. The final sentence Eddie had said to her caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up. At that point, Greta decided it was safe to finally return Eddie's giant hug that he had been giving her nearly the whole time of his visit. She stared with weepy eyes at what was contained in the box in his hands that was eventually placed delicately onto her ring finger.

"Will you marry me?"

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**Author's Notes:** I'm not sure whether or not I should continue this story and have an epilogue. If you want it to continue and have an epilogue, let me know. :) -FoC


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